Presidency University Students Lift Protest After Successful Fee Hike Reversal

Students at Presidency University ended their 20-hour protest after receiving written assurance from the authorities that the proposed fee hike for the 2024-25 academic year would not be implemented. The protest, led by student spokesperson Bitan Islam, demanded that future fee hike proposals involve student consultations. The Students' Federation of India also plans to advocate for changes in the admission process.

Students of Presidency University lifted their 20-hour gherao of acting vice-chancellor Nirmalya Narayan Chakraborty on Thursday following a written assurance from varsity authorities to not implement the proposed fee hike for the 2024-25 academic year.

Bitan Islam, spokesperson for the agitating students, confirmed that authorities agreed to their demand to halt the fee hike for incoming undergraduates and postgraduates for the upcoming academic year. The proposed hike would have seen undergraduate fees rise from Rs 4,205 to Rs 7,200, and postgraduate fees from Rs 4,300 to Rs 7,200, marking the first increase in a decade.

While a university official affirmed that the fee hike would not take effect in 2024-25, he did not provide clarity on whether similar proposals might be considered in subsequent years. Islam emphasized the need for student consultations on any future fee hike proposals and suggested exploring alternative fundraising methods to ensure financial stability without additional burdens on students.

Meanwhile, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) announced plans to push for the publication of merit lists from admission tests and to advocate for an offline counseling process to ensure fair participation by all deserving students.

(With inputs from agencies.)